Ferdinand schaaf



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

JOHN S. MELLON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF SIX-TENTHS TO G. IV. LEWIS, OF SAME PLACE.

GALVANIC SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,673, dated July 23, 1889.

Application filed April 1, 1889. Serial No. 305,597. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. MELLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoes and other Foot Appliances, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings and claims.

My invention relates to health-sustainin appliances, in particular to appliances which are calculated to generate, induct, and educt electrical currents in connection with the human system, and to equalize such currents between it and the earth.

It consists in providing shoes and other foot appliances with metallic conductors and generators of electricity or galvanism and connecting the human system therethrough with the ground, so that the electrical condition existing between the body and the earth may be kept in harmony with each other.

The objects of my invention areto cure the aiflicted and to improve the public health.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my mechanical devices for attaining these obj ects.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary slipper-shoe. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail section of a solid rivet. Fig. 4c is a detail section of a hollow rivet.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Relative to theuse of diiferentkinds of metallic rivets, the scope of this invention is to provide both conductors and generators of the electric and galvanic forces in this device. Such constitute the bases of my invention. Therefore it is desirable to adapt the number of galvanic pairs in foot-wear to theindividuals condition under treatment, which can be ac complished by increasing or diminishing the number of galvanic pairs in foot-wear by making them in this manner.

My mechanical device in one form consists of one or more metallic rivets inserted into holes made through the surface of a shoe-sole c 2, as shown in Fig. 2. These may be of like or different kinds of metal, as one of zinc. and another of copper, or otherwise. They may be solid rivets, as in Fig. 3, or hollow, as in Fig. at. Their ends inside of the shoe should be flattened to correspond with the inside surface of the shoe-sole, and their outer ends should be flattened and finished in a similar way. In addition to these rivets and combined with them I make use of one or more metallic plates a a, (shown in the same figure,) which are in the form of any ordinary inner soles for shoes. These are cut out of thin sheet metal and adapted to fit inside of any shoe removably, so they may be taken out or put in readily; or they may be securely fastened inside of the shoe. For these I prefer sheet copper or zinc, and these metals may be used conjointly. These metallic soles are placed inside of the shoe, their under surface in contact with the inner heads of the rivets, which extend through the shoe-sole. Thus, to the extent diiferentkinds of metal are used in these soles and rivets, galvanic elements are formed in pairs, which are adapted to be excited electrically bythe moisture of the sole of the foot acting against the inner metallic soles, and that coacting with the rivets, with which it is in contact in the shoe, while the outer ends of the rivets are in contact with the moist earth, or by standing upon a moistened surface arranged for that purpose. In addition to this, for invalid uses, where they are confined to beds or unable to be about on foot, I make use of this combined device by connecting the shoe-plate with the ground by a metallic conductor 1), which may be copper wire, with or without the ground plant 1), as shown in Fig. 2; In order to accomplish this, the groulid-conductor I) may be attached to the metallic sole a in any suitable way, or, as shown, by thrusting a point a of the inner metallic sole through the leather of the shoe and connecting it to the ground by the conductor I), as shown. \Vhen used by bed-ridden or greatly-enfeebled persons, the ground conducting-wire b or 0 may belong enough to I extend from wherever the individual is located out of a window or down through floors to the ground, in which the ground end should be buried suliiciently' to be in moist earth. By this means any kind of slipper or foot wear can be worn and used to accomplish the beneficial objects of this invention.

It is becoming more and more known that UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND SCHAAF, OF FRANKFORT-ON-TlIE-MAIN, GERMANY.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,695, dated July 23, 1889.

Application filed June 1, 1888. Serial No. 275,193. (No model.) 7

' residing at Frankfort-on-the-Main, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has for its purpose to make a piano, which, with the exterior of an upright piano, unites the advantages of a grand piano.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical central section of the device. Fig. 2 is a detail to show how parts A and B are pivoted. Fig. 3 is a detail-showing the connection of the pedal with the automatic mechanism.

To obtain the full and free sound of a grand piano, keys or flaps are applied by which the whole instrument is automatically opened as soon as the key-lid is unlocked. For this purpose the instrument is provided on its front and back sides with flaps K, extending in a horizontal direction over the whole length of the piano, Fig. 1.

The flaps are made of fine wooden bands, and are strengthened by metallic bars. They turn round an axis A, Fig. 2. A second axis B is joined with vertical rods L L. The weight of these bars effects an overweight of the flaps on one side and therefore an open ing of them. I

The automatic action of the flaps is obtained in the following manner: A lever II is situated on the side of the keys of the instrument, and is joined on one end to the rods L L, while the other end is pressed down by the key-lid T as soon as the instrument is closed. The rod L is also in connec- K are closed.

As soon as the key-lid T is closed, the rods L I, will be lifted and consequently the flaps The same will be obtained by a pressure upon the lever II during the playing. The closing of the flaps by the pedal effects a damping of the sound. 3y this operation of the flaps during the playing on the piano they can be made to vary the effect of the sound in a very considerable degree and so add very much to the effect of the sounds. If the instrument is closed by the key-lid T, the pedal I remains in its position retained by a spring.

To make the sound of the piano still more resemble the sound of a grand piano, if the instrument placed near a wall the back of it is inclined so that between the upper part of the instrument and the wall, an open space is formed, which allows the free extension of the sound. This inclined back of the piano is also provided with flaps, which are closed simultaneously with the flaps of the front side by means of the levers H and I1 I claim An upright piano with inclined back provided with long horizontal flaps K on its front and back sides,in combination with the vertical rods L L, and the levers II II II H which are opened by the weight of the rods and automatically closed by the shutting of the key-lid T and a pressure upon the pedal P.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND SCIIAAF.

In presence of ALvEsTo S. IIOGUE, JEAN GRUND.

tion with the leverll of the pedal P, Fig. 3. 4o 

